Gospel Reflection for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B.

The Lord upholds my life. (Psalm 53)

The Gospel today presents us Jesus, the Teacher, in fact the greatest teacher the world has ever seen. We can well understand that the lesson he was trying to teach the Twelve about his approaching suffering and death was too hard for them to understand; that was a very hard lesson learnt later. But the lesson, or rather the Gospel prohibition on crude power, domination, control over others, is wonderfully illustrated by what we call today, audio-visual effects.

Jesus' immortal teaching is that all Christian authority derives from love and service of others, especially love of the weak and powerless. How blessed that little child was whom our Saviour took and 'set in front of them and put his arms around him....'

In loving service to others, especially to the weak, we receive the threefold love of the Father,  Son and the Spirit of Love between them, the Holy Spirit. May we never forget this teaching.